friedman



March 17, 1964 a. J. FRIEDMAN 3,124,949

SHOWCASE LOCK MECHANISM Filed Nov. 28, 1961 F o M IG 4 )0 INVENTOR.GEORGE J. FRIEDMAN 4 BY v v ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,124,949SHOWCASE LOCK MECHANISM George J. Friedman, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor, byrnesne assignments, to Iris Friedman, New York, NY. Filed Nov. 28, 1961,Ser. No. 155,349 4 Claims. (Cl. 70-14) This invention relates to lockmechanisms and in particular to such locks employed in showcases.

Showcase display cabinets usually comprise a plurality of sliding glassdoors. In order to insert merchandise into and remove the same from theshowcase, it is necessary to slide the glass doors relative to eachother. These showcase doors can be locked and limited from opening andclosing movement by the application of a lock mechanism. However, asfrequently happens, when the lock mechanism is applied to the slidingglass doors, slight movement of the doors will cause them to abut thelock mechanism and splinter or crack its glass at the point of abutment.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lock mechanism andsplinter or crack its glass at the point thereof to move into and out ofabutment with the lock mechanism without cracking or splintering theabutting surface of the glass door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lock mechanism having aforce absorbing resilient abutment means mounted in position thereon forforce absorbing cooperation with the coinciding surface of the glassdoor of the showcase to which the lock mechanism is attached.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a showcase lockmechanism that can not be burglarized. In this connection, a novelfeature of the invention resides in the provision of burglar-proof guardmeans positioned within the interior of the lock mechanism in a locationbehind the normally accessible front plate thereof obstructing andfoiling attempts to gain access to the interior of the lock mechanismthrough such plate.

Other and further objects of this invention reside in the structures andarrangements hereinafter more fully described with reference to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a showcase illustrating the relativelymovable glass doors secured in closed position by the lock mechanismthat is constructed according to the teaching of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a cross section of FIG. 1 taken along lines 2-2,

FIG. 3 is a cross section of FIG. 2 taken along lines 3-3,

FIG. 4 is a cross section of FIG. 1 taken along lines 44, and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the front plate and a portion of thebase of the lock mechanism.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral is employed in a generalmanner to identify the lock mechanism. The lock mechanism 10 has ahousing that comprises a casing 12 adapted to be connected and securelyjoined to a base 14. Both the casing 12 and base 14 when securedtogether complete the housing details of the lock mechanism 10. For thepurpose of this invention, the precise or structural details of thecasing 12 are unimportant since the same are not deemed to be inventiveother than as they are utilized in connection with the structuraldetails of the base 14 to be described.

To provide a clearer understanding of the overall details ofconstruction and the cooperation of the casing 12 with that of the base14, it is noted that the casing is provided with a front surface 16, asis shown more clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4. The body of the casing 12 tapers3,124,949 Patented Mar. 17, 1964 and enlarges in a rearward directionaway from the front surface 16 to accommodate and mount therewithin akey operated tumbler 18. The base 14 is securely fastened to theunderside of the casing 12. Base 14 extends longitudinally for the fulllength of the casing 12 and includes a pair of laterally spacedupstanding side walls 20 that merge with a bottom wall 22.

The lateral space between the walls 20 is substantially equal to thewidth of the casing 12 so that the lower portion of the casing can seatthereon and be congruously joined therewith. The front of the base 14 isprovided with a front plate 24 of irregular configuration. The frontplate 24 is substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall 22 of thebase 14 and is adapted to be inset into a complementary shaped surface16 of the casing 12. Hence, the casing 12 and base 14 can be assembledto form a unitary housing of the lock mechanism 10. The housing assemblyis held together by the use of a plurality of securing means 26 in theform of screws, pins or rivets inserted through the bottom wall 22 andthrough the front plate 24, respectively, into the body of the casing 12as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. To illustrate this, the front plate24 is provided with a suitable opening 28 to accommodate the securingmeans 26.

At the jointure of the bottom wall 22 and front plate 24 of the base 14is an elongated aperture 30 that opens onto the face or front of thelock mechanism 10 and extends longitudinally along the length of thebase 14 and the mating bottom portion of the casing 12 between the walls20. This elongated aperture is adapted to receive a locking slide 32 formovement into and out of the same.

The locking slide 32 is elongated in length and is provided with aplurality of locking notches 34 along the lengths of the opposite edgesthereof. The locking notches 34 are adapted to be engaged by a keeper 36(FIG. 4) actuated by the operation of the tumbler 18. The forward end ofthe slide 32 is substantially hookshaped as shown at 38 to engage aboutthe edge of the rear one of the sliding glass doors 40 of a showcasegenerally identified by the numeral 42. The front panel of the showcase42 is identified by the numeral 44.

In normal use, before the application of the lock mechanism 10 to theshowcase 42, the panel 44 is slid from its closed position as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 fully to the left to its open position. In like, butopposite manner, the panel 40 is then slid to the right exposing itsright hand edge. The hook-shaped portion 38 of the lock ing slide 32 isthen slid over the exposed edge of the same to assume the position shownin FIGS. 1 and 2 permitting the rear end of the locking slide 32 now tobe exposed at the left hand edge of the door 44.

The housing of the lock mechanism 10, comprising the secured andassembled combination of the casing 12 and base 14, is then positionedsuch that its elongated aperture 30 is in alignment with the left handend of the locking slide 32. Thereafter, continued movement to the rightof the assembled casing 12 and base 14, toward the left hand edge of thedoor 44, will cause the housing of the locking mechanism 10 to receiveand accommodate therein the exposed left hand end of the locking slide32. The casing and base are moved along the slide 32 until the frontplate 24 abuts the left band edge of the front door 44. The tumbler 18may now be key actuated to release the keeper 36 causing the same toengage with the locking notches 34 provided along the opposite lateraledges of the locking slide 32 and enclosed between the casing 12 andbase 14. The engagement of the keeper 36 with the notches 34 thusprevents the doors 4!) and 44 from moving relative to each other.

However, as frequently happens, the doors are sometimes permittedrelative movement because the storekeeper does not properly operate thelocking mechanism in the manner described. For this reason, therefore,the front plate 24 is provided with a resilient deformable forceabsorbing bumper means. The bumper means may be secured in anyconvenient manner to the face of the front plate 24 by vulcanizing orglueing the same thereto. However, in practice, the bumper means isformed with an enlarged head 46 that seats against the exposed face ofthe front plate 24 and is positioned between the front plate and theleft hand edge of the sliding door 44. A narrower body 48 is formedintegral with the head 46 and extends through an opening 50 provided forthe accommodation of the same in the front plate. The narrower body 48is of such diameter that it is normally larger than that of the opening50 but when deformed, it is capable of being pressed thereinto to beengaged with the wall of the opening. The narrower body 48 is formedwith a larger securement portion 52 that becomes positioned against therear or interior face of the front plate 24, thereby preventing thebumper means 46 from removal front the front plate 24.

In the use of conventional showcase lock mechanisms to which the instantinvention relates, the same have been burglarized by drilling a smallhole through the front plate 24 rearwardly into the tumbler 18 therebyrendering the tumbler inoperative. The present invention is di rected toa structure for preventing and foiling this manner of burglarization.This is accomplished by the provision of a guard means 54 that has afront guard surface 56. The guard means 54 is arcuately shaped with itssurface 56 longitudinally spaced rearward from but parallel to the rearor interior surface of the front plate 24. The ends of the arcuatelyshaped guard means 54 are formed integral with and as a unitary part ofthe front plate 24 so that there is no space or opening provided betweenthem through which a burglar may have access to the interior of the lockmechanism. In addition, the bottom of the guard means 54 is providedwith a bottom closure surface 58 that is positioned in alignment withthe elongated aperture 30 in which the locking slide 32 is accommodated.Hence, access to the interior of the lock mechanism by way of the slot30 is prevented by the closure surface 58 while drilling access to thetumbler 18 through the plate 24 is foiled by the guard means 54positioned therebehind.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferredembodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in theart, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is theintention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A lock mechanism comprising a housing, said housing including acasing and a base, said base having a plate forming the front of saidhousing, a longitudinally extending slot defined in said casing and baseand extending through said plate, a locking slide longitudinally movableinto and out of said casing along said slot, operable lock means in saidcasing to releasably lock said slide in said slot, means in said casingto operate said lock means, and drill resistant guard means on andhaving a portion thereof spaced longitudinally from the rear of saidplate and being positioned within said casing.

2. A lock mechanism as in claim 1, said drill resistant guard meanshaving a surface formed integral with spaced portions of said plate andhaving a curved surface spaced from the rear of said plate.

3. A lock mechanism as in claim 2, said curved surface of said drillresistant guard means being arcuately shaped with the sides of saidarcuate shape being connected with the rear of said plate, and a portionof said arcuate shape longitudinally spaced from the rear of said platebeing parallel with respect thereto.

4. A lock mechanism as defined in claim 1 adapted to have the lockingslide substantially parallel to and with a portion thereof between twosliding panels with the said plate forming the front of the said housingin facing relationship to an end of one of the said panels, said lockmechanism comprising resilient means on said plate, said plate having anopening defined therein to receive a portion of said resilient means,and said resilient means comprising a body portion having a narrowercentral portion adapted to be frictionally engaged in said opening ofsaid plate so that a portion of said resilient means will be within thesaid housing and another portion of said resilient means Will be outsideof the plate on the said housing and in a position to abut the said endof the said panel whereby when the said lock mechanism is in lockingengagement with the said panels, the said resilient means will be undercompression.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS928,820 Tabor July 20, 1909 1,484,830 Hurd Feb. 26, 1924 1,978,249Decarie Oct. 23, 1934 2,055,906 Menchen Sept. 29, 1936 2,338,851 HeyerJan. 11, 1944 2,720,102 Spain Oct. 11, 1955 2,878,663 Smith Mar. 24,1959 3,014,747 Nichols Dec. 26, 1961

1. A LOCK MECHANISM COMPRISING A HOUSING, SAID HOUSING INCLUDING ACASING AND A BASE, SAID BASE HAVING A PLATE FORMING THE FRONT OF SAIDHOUSING, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOT DEFINED IN SAID CASING AND BASEAND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PLATE, A LOCKING SLIDE LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLEINTO AND OUT OF SAID CASING ALONG SAID SLOT, OPERABLE LOCK MEANS IN SAIDCASING TO RELEASABLY LOCK SAID SLIDE IN SAID SLOT, MEANS IN SAID CASINGTO OPERATE SAID LOCK MEANS, AND DRILL RESISTANT GUARD MEANS ON ANDHAVING A PORTION THEREOF SPACED LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE REAR OF SAIDPLATE AND BEING POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CASING.